theblindshoemaker Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Hello forum members and enthusiasts, I was looking for some wethered advice from people in the know. I would thoroughly appreciate any feedback on my tale and the now horror story "my first electric guitar", which sadly isn't at all a work of fiction..... but my experience over the last week or so. So I've been playing my acoustic guitar for about a year and have learned the ropes. I felt ready for the great leap to get my first amped up guitar, my purchase was the lovely Epiphone Dot ES335, with the dashing vintage sunburst look. £280 lighter I booked a studio with my good friend Andy to test the true value and quality of the guitar..... 30 minutes in the lead falls out, along with the nut and the jack, it was well and truely buggered, as was the rest of the studio time. Needless to say I was in a foul mood and marched to the shop of purchase for help, the troll behind the counter muttered .... "oh yeay, well umm, happens all the time, come back tomorrow and the tech will have a look" Took the advice and got it taken to the tech, full repair done. Nice. Good. Magic. HOWEVER, my dear readers, taking the guitar to the studio for the second ever time, it broke again.... the exact same problem within 30 minutes. Questions im searching for the answer for are along these lines; Is it as common a problem as has been made out? Would you reccomend I get a refund/replacement rather than repair again? Do you think these sales minions have ripped me off? Id really like to hear anything that you might have to share or be able to help me out with? Thanks, theblindshoemaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 You bought a faulty guitar, next time ask for a replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpach10115 Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Maybe it's the studio!!! Haunted? Evil Sprits that attack guitars? Seriously: This is NOT a common problem It does NOT happen all the time. The nut AND the jack! Sounds like this thing has problems at the mounting point. TAKE IT BACK and ask for a replacement, or your money back. The guitar is guaranteed for defects. Unless the mounting point is re-inforced, it will keep happening. Here's 2 suggestions: either get a wireless unit that will mount on your strap, this way there is no pressure on the jack, or run your cord through your strap at the bottom strap mount to prevent the cord pulling on the jack. Maybe get a longer cord. Also, if you do use a cord, since the jack mount is on top, use an angeled plug. This way the pressure is not pullong on the jack. I have to say, this problem has NEVER happened to me, let alone TWICE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblindshoemaker Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 Thanks for the swift replys guys, Im glad you've both filled me in that its obviously faulty. Im considering naming and shaming the company that sold me this, plus their service standard has been absolute bollocks. Its ashame that me being naive in the guitar world has been exploited with these muppets..... I've got one word for them though, KARMA! .......or the studio could be haunted, a real horror story after all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Things loosen up in shipping, but twice? Very unusual. You can put locktite on it, but you shouldn't have to. What kind of vibration is the guitar being subjected to? Without vibration, the nut should not loosen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 How in the hell could they not fix it, that's what I want to know. ok so the nut on the short jack on a dot sometimes just can't get a grip.. we've all had that if we've had a few guitars. but what sort of tech would put the nut back on and then not plug in and out a half dozen times? And how did the output jack come out of the guitar? it should fall inside, not outside. You take off the nut and washer the jack should fall inside. being larger than the hole. plumbers tape will fix it. or locktite. The best thing is to put in a longer shafted output jack. TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpach10115 Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 How in the hell could they not fix it' date=' that's what I want to know. ok so the nut on the short jack on a dot sometimes just can't get a grip.. we've all had that if we've had a few guitars. but what sort of tech would put the nut back on and then not plug in and out a half dozen times? And how did the output jack come out of the guitar? it should fall inside, not outside. You take off the nut and washer the jack should fall inside. being larger than the hole. plumbers tape will fix it. or locktite. The best thing is to put in a longer shafted output jack. TWANG[/quote'] If you think about it, the only way for the jack to come out is THROUGH the hole! YIKES! That means that the hole is too big. If the hole is that big, there is no way that the nut will hold no matter how long the shaft is. (Yes, it's very good advise to use the long shaft jack: More on that later.) Also, there really is no way to hide this. Is should be VERY noticible. You could use a large washer to hold it on the inside, and another chrome washer to hide the enlarged hole that was created when the jack was ripped out. You would need a long shaft jack to cover the additional height caused by the use of the additional washers. (You could turn it into a "Lucille" and use the bigger hole for the tone selector switch). Other than that, there must be some woodoworking, sanding, paint matching etc... that need to be done. That is NOT easy to do in that area for such a high pressure repair. If it's not done right, it will happen again and it will be noticable. If it's a defect in manufacture, insist on a replacement guitar. Did you buy it that way? Like I said, if the guitar was defective enough for the jack to come through the mounting hole, that's should be very noticable, unless the guitar was already repaired when you got it. Hmmmm. Possible? If not, what kind of Pete Townshend contortions were you doing to RIP the JACK OUT OF THE GUITAR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Is it as common a problem as has been made out? Would you reccomend I get a refund/replacement rather than repair again? Do you think these sales minions have ripped me off? The jack/nut/washer coming loose is common. The jack falling out is impossible without a severe defect on the guitar. Get a replacement. And try it well and true before booking a studio... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 The jack/nut/washer coming loose is common. The jack falling out is impossible without a severe defect on the guitar. Get a replacement. And try it well and true before booking a studio... This does seem to be a common problem with the thicker sides of the semi-acoustics or acoustics. I had the same problem with the Emperor II (Joe Pass). You can use some Loctite (blue) on the threads, but the main problem is that the jack is just too short to have enough threads (should be 2-3), showing past the edge of the nut. A better solution as TWANG mentioned, is to order and install a longer (3/8 inch barrel) Switchcraft jack. The Switchcraft jacks also have a better tang and spring tension on the end of the jack to mate with the tip of the cord. Here's ONE place that has these..there may be others.. http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_jacksmono.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gashole Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I agree in this case with the replacement. If that hole is cut too large, you're always going to have issues. You have actual faces to deal with rather then disembodied voices over the line, so by all means let them know your displeasure. They'll have to deal with you, and buying new, you are protected by warranties. Think about finding another tech for the future too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblindshoemaker Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Thanks again folks for the replys. I had a read over my first post, I wasnt very clear on the matter of the jack. It didnt fall out of the guitar but it did fall inwards! apologies! whats gutting aboput the whole thing is that the only two times Ive used the guitar in the studio, the same problem happened, the whole thing falling apart. Im fully intending to gig in the coming months and there is no waaaaay this guitar will stand the live performances, its fragile like an overweight teenage girl. Im taking it back tomorrow, im gonna give them hell. Ill let you all know how it goes. cheers boys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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